XL Bully 'campaigner' is attacked by one of the dogs he is trying to save after ... trends now
An XL Bully 'campaigner' who stood up for them and urged people to stop 'blaming the wrong end of the leash' has been mauled by one of the dogs after its owner set it on him.
Married father-of-three Ben Cźyżyk, 38, from Wolverhampton, had puncture wounds and deep bruising after the brutal attack on Friday night.
His nightmare unfolded in the Tettenhall area of the city when he saw the XL Bully off its lead just after 10pm.
When he asked the owner to bring the animal under control he set the muscular mutt onto him and also attacked him himself.
It came just nine days after Mr Czyzyk, who is a dog owner but not of an XL Bully, put a social media post up with a picture of one of the dogs saying: 'Any breed can be taught to be aggressive. It's time we quit blaming the wrong end of the leash.'
Police were this afternoon still hunting the owner and the dog after they fled from the scene when officers arrived. Mr Cryzyk had 12 fractures in one eye socket from the attack.
Ben Cźyżyk, 38, was set upon after the dog's owner ordered that it attack him on Friday night
Mr Czyzyk showed pictures of his wounds after the dog attack on Friday in Wolverhampton
Mr Czyzyk said today: 'I was out and about enjoying my evening when I came across a very vicious dog owner.
'When asked to put his dog on a lead he proceeded to tell his dog to attack which he also did.
'I think I got a couple of defensive shots in but I was no match for a XL Bully and his vicious owner.
'Thank you to all the hospital staff who helped me.'
Mr Czyzk had been walking with family when he had seen the dog looking out of control near the School Road part of Tettenhall.
When he made the reasonable request to the owner the animal was set onto him and started sinking his teeth into his ankles.
The violence saw him dragged to the floor, when the owner then started kicking him in the face and head.
A relative told MailOnline: 'We were so shaken by what happened.
'The dog attacked his ankles and then the owner battered him on the ground.
American XL Bully dogs will be banned in the UK by the end of the year. This is a stock picture
Mr Czyzk had heavy bruising on his ear too and showed off a bite mark inflicted on his hand
Mr Czyzyk had posted this meme supporting the dogs just days before the nightmare unfolded
'The police did turn up and took details but the owner and the dog had fled the scene.
'Ben is still recovering, so isn't up to talking about it in full at the moment.
'We still don't think they should be banned, they need to be registered and looked after properly.
'These dogs shouldn't be used as weapons and that's what this user was using his as - a weapon.'
West Midlands Police has been approached for comment.
Details of the attack come just a day after hundreds of XL Bully owners massed in London yesterday to protest at Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's plans to ban the breed.
The dogs have become public enemy number one after a series of attacks in recent months.
People take part in a protest in central London, against the Government's decision to add XL bully dogs to the list of prohibited breed
One of the placards read 'Don't bully our bullies' while another declared 'stop bullying our best friends'
The breed is set to be banned by the end of the year following a series of attacks, including that of father-of-two Ian Price from Staffordshire, who was killed by two XL Bullies after they jumped out of a neighbour's window earlier this month.
Owners are in a panic and abandoning their pets, or begging vets to change official records to say 'Staffies' because they're worried their dogs will be put down.
